Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott are preparing to send six horses to Rosehill, with five of them entered in stakes races. Among these are four promising three-year-olds aiming to showcase their potential for the spring racing season.
The Golden Rose aspirations for Plagiarism and Revengeance will be put to the test in the Run To The Rose (1200m). Meanwhile, I’m Ya Huckleberry has the opportunity to stake his claim for that race with a strong showing in the Ming Dynasty Quality Handicap (1400m).
Their stablemate Savagram is also set to compete in the Ming Dynasty. As a half-brother to the Derby winner Major Beel, Savagram is being considered for a potential campaign towards the Spring Champion Stakes (2000m).
I’m Ya Huckleberry joins the three-year-old feature races after being sidelined by a fetlock injury that occurred following his debut second in the Breeders’ Plate (1000m) last spring. He achieved his maiden victory at Wyong last month, and Bott is keen for him to race on the larger Rosehill track.
“He’s a big striding horse, so the bigger track will be more suitable for him, and getting out to 1400 metres,” Bott stated. “The thought process is he’s got that natural speed and being able to sustain that over 1400 metres, 1600 metres as opposed to 1200 is going to be what hopefully separates him when he can get to a good level.”
An increase in distance is also expected to benefit Savagram, who finished fourth last start behind Plagiarism in the Up And Coming Stakes (1300m). Bott felt the colt’s inexperience was apparent in that run.
Plagiarism will be striving for a repeat of that performance in the Run To The Rose (1200m), where he is anticipated to have a fitness edge over several of the leading contenders. “He’s gone to the Run To The Rose for that reason. He’s pretty conditioned for a tougher race like that, particularly with where he’s at in this ‘prep’ having had two runs over 1300 metres and dropping back to 1200,” Bott explained. “Traditionally, it’s the main lead-up to the Golden Rose and he certainly put himself in contention at his last start. We wanted to give him that chance.”
Bott also suggested that punters should be forgiving of Revengeance, who tired late in the San Domenico Stakes (1200m) upon his return from an extended break. While he expects the colt to improve further after Saturday’s run, he has not ruled out aiming him at the Group 1 feature in two weeks. “I still don’t think it’s necessarily the right race (on Saturday) yet, but it’s the right stepping stone to get back,” Bott said. “If we need to readjust after this we can, but at this stage he’s on a path to the Golden Rose.”
Stardom completes Tulloch Lodge’s black-type contenders in Sydney when she contests the Sheraco Stakes (1200m), aiming to prove her narrow second in the Toy Show Quality (1100m) was not a fluke. Although she started at long odds that day, Bott indicated her performance was not a surprise to the stable, and she has continued to develop positively. “She used to be in a bit of a rush, but she is harnessing things much better,” he commented. “She’s got to improve again off that personal best, but I’m really happy with her. She’s going great.”
Bet on the Golden Rose with leading Australian betting sites.